'The Cove' director risks arrest to come to Tokyo

"I don’t think I was trespassing in a legal sense"

wow the next time I catch some anti social yob trespassing on my land ( it happens), causing damage and say something like that!

I would thinik that he would be denied a visa in the first place.

^^^^ me too. I wouldn't be suprised if he was detained. Hope the film does well and they stop these clowns from killing dolphins.

888naf, so you have land inside a national park?

He's doing this with the intention of being arrested or denied entry. Then he can just use it as an argument against the Japanese. "Look they're trying to censor me!"

“You can’t trespass in almost any other national park in the world that’s made for people,...

Every national, provincial, and state park in Canada and the USA requires that you get a permit to film for commercial purposes. If you don't have a permit, you will be charged with trespassing (among other things).

hokkaidoguy

If you don't have a permit, you will be charged with trespassing (among other things).

Such as destruction of property:

The cove is closed off by barbed wire, and the film crew had to film much of the footage covertly.

He violated the law, but so did the Taiji fishermen who were not adhering to mandated methods of killing dolphins.

Punish them all.

Then he can just use it as an argument against the Japanese. "Look they're trying to censor me!"

It will also gain his film even more international attention and it's pretty likely international pressure would see him set free almost immediately so he is probably hoping for such an outcome

Either that or his next movie is about prison in Japan?

Prison seems an unlikely punishment. But maybe they could jail him until he pays a hefty fine.

Maybe the judge could award all profits of the film to the Taiji fishermen who were filmed without their permission.

How would he like to be locked up in a police cell for 21 days if he doesn't confess? Now that's a REAL social issue worth a documentary

They would be crazy to arrest him and give this more publicity. Wait - we are talking about the J Police, guess he will get his publicity :-)

Arrest him and reap the bad publicity. Heh, clever.

Who is this cove? Some salty old sea dog who's also a cad? Must be, if he keeps killing dolphins.

Wasn't he in Japan recently slogging around Taji itself, and was there a reason why he wasn't at risk of arrest then? I'm sure self-promotion has nothing to do with it being such an issue this time around.

I'm sure he'd love to be arrested if he gets a per centage of the gross from the film. The publicity would turn his film into an outstanding success story.

Just deny him a visa to enter Japan in the first place. Paul McCartney for YEARS was denied a visa to enter Japan for past drug issues.

He should do a firm about Prison, that would be funny.

If he stays locked up for 21 days, maybe he can get news of the whereabouts of Ichihashi. That could be the next film. "The Back-side of Dolphins".

American director Louie Psihoyos and other members of his crew violated trespassing laws when they documented the hunt in the seaside town of Taiji, where 2,000 dolphins are killed every year, mostly to be sold as meat. I support the director and his crew. This should be exposed

"I really don't like capturing dolphins for aquariums or sea ( parks )world. That is why I avoid such parks, zoo, anything that holds an animal in captivity. If you have ever seen a dolphin in the ocean cahsing a ship or jumping into the waves. It's like watching children play. They are very playful- to see a dolphin in a big aquarium tank breaks my heart. They should be--Free . Don't get me started on the zoos."

Despite the controversy, Psihoyos, a National Geographic photographer, said he was excited about the film being shown in Japan.

This movie needs to be shown nationwide.

"if you have ever seen a dolphin chasing a ship or a boat at high speed in the ocean. It's like watching a child play in the water. They should be free !!!! Being caged is not fun."

The film is what it is. You either support the slaughter and the manor it was conducted or you don't. The posturing of the of the J-Cops is amateur hour material but doesn't serve any purpose.

Every national, provincial, and state park in Canada and the USA requires that you get a permit to film for commercial purposes. If you don't have a permit, you will be charged with trespassing (among other things).

You're wrong. I just checked Alberta parks website. Its provincial parks require permits only if special supervision or if crew's requirements are beyond those of regular park visitors, or if crew's presence poses a possible threat local ecology. Anyway, coverage of news events is exempt even from those requirements.

You're crazy if think US or Canadian TV news/documentary crews apply for permits whenever they enter a park's boundaries.

Thanks to this guy, others coming from US will be subject to more pressure at the Japanese immigration.

Even the Japanese wouldn't be dumb enough to arrest this guy and give him and his movie more publicity.

The permit thing is the biggest red herring of them all. What's the purpose of a film permit in a wilderness area? To ensure that the film makers don't disturb the wild life. Exactly what are they disturbing in the middle of a slaughter? The fishermen? Cry me a river.

Right, so he comes, goes to court and the court would have to prove that the slaughter of the dolphins was somehow disturbed by his presence. Parks are to protect wildlife normally. With new jury system the J-Police can't control the outcomes any more and haven't a hope if the movie is screened for the jurors. If the evidence is the movie, then they have to see it.

What a dilemma for the authorities - don`t arrest him and allow him free access even though he broke the law and they are dying to nab him. Or arrest him and fuel the publicity. Tough one!

"if you have ever seen a dolphin chasing a ship or a boat at high speed in the ocean. It's like watching a child play in the water. They should be free !!!! Being caged is not fun."

So THAT'S why they're always chasing ships.